Slocan Lake RCMP are seeking witnesses to a drowning in the Slocan River on August 5, 2020.
“A 35-year old man was swimming with an acquaintance when he went under and did not resurface.” said Detachment Commander for the Slocan RCMP Cpl. Jaime Moffat.
Police said they responded to the incident at approximately 5:40 p.m. roughly 1.5 kilometres North West of Winlaw, BC.
“The man’s acquaintance called 9-1-1 from a nearby business,” stated Cpl. Jaime Moffat. “Search and Rescue (SAR) used a helicopter and commenced searching the river at approximately 7:40 pm. However, due to the time of day, SAR was unable to use a boat to search for the man.”
SAR along with the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team, returned to the area to resume their search the following day.
According to Cpl. Jaime Moffat’s report, the area where man was swimming is a popular destination, usually shallow and with sandbars to stand on.
However, when the incident took place the water was described as high with a strong undercurrent.
Anyone who was in the area and might have witnessed anything is asked to contact the RCMP.